Axle-box lid



(No Model.)

W. H.'LAWRENGE.

AXLE BOX LID.

No. 394,378. Patented Dec. 11,. 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EFICE.

WILLIAM H. LAVRENCE, OF PITTSBI'RG, PEXNSYLVANIA.

AXLE-BOX LID.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,378, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed September 29, 1888. $arial No. 286,723. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. LAWRENCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Axle-Box Lids, of which the following is a specification.

Car-axle boxes are provided with removable lids or covers for access for oiling the j outnalbearings of the axle, and it is important that the provision for securing these covers when closed shall permit them to be easily and quickly opened for the frequent inspection and oiling of the journal and box.

My improvement relates to the pivoted style of lid, which is turned or swung edgewise upon a pivot to uncover and to close the opening in the box, and which is maintained in either position by spring force applied to its pivoted end. In these plans the force of the spring is exerted around the pivot, and consequently at one end of the lid, so that the pressure of the spring is not equally disposed upon the lid, and the latter therefore is liable to fail in maintaining a close seating and joint upon the box all round the opening of the box.

My improvement is directed to provision whereby the force of the spring is applied centra'lly to the lid as well as to its pivoted end for the purpose of maintaining a close seating of the lid when closed over the box-opening, and to obtain this result by a very simple construction and adaptation of both lid and spring, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a car-axle box having my improved pivoted lid in the position, partly open. Fig. 2 is a section of the same, showing the lid in closed position. Fig. 3 is a view of the lid and its spring detached from the box-pivot. Fig. 4 is a view of a slightly-modified form of the construction of the lid and its spring, and Fig. 5

is a view of another modification.

The box is of the usual construction for the bearing for the axle and for retaining the oil, and it has at the top, or it may be at the side, a projection or ofiset or flan ge, a, with its upper surface flush and continuous with the upper edge or surface of the box surrounding the opening to receive the pivot-bolt b, by

which the lid is secured to the said box projection. The lid 0 is stamped or pressed either from a wrought steel or iron plate cut to conform to and overlap the edges of the opening in the box, and with an upward-turned lip or flange, d, and a hole, 6, near said lip to receive the pivot-bolt.

As a means of holding the lid close and firm upon the box, I use a plate-spring,f, adapted to bear and exert a force at two points upon the lidthat is, at its pivoted end and at the middle of its length-and which is secured in place by the pivot-bolt. For this purpose the spring is arched or bowed at its bolt-connection, so as to stand out or above the lid and bear thereon at each end in the line of the length of the lid, one bearing end, g, being outside of the said pivot-bolt and the other bearing end being at or near the middle of the length of the lid. The outer end of the spring abuts against the lid projection (I, so that the hole h in the spring will register with the hole e in the lid throughwhich the pivot-bolt passes.

The head of the bolt rests upon the arched part of the spring, and when inserted through the opening in the spring the lid and the boxside projection may be secured by a nut on its lower end or screwed into a threaded hole in the said box projection.

The springis kept in properalignment with the lid by the lip (I of the latter, which acts as a stop to resist the pressure put upon the spring by the pivot-bolt, and thus transmit such pressure to the free end of the spring upon the center of the lid, and thus press the latter equally and tightly upon its seating all around the edge of the box-opening.

It is obvious that the abutting stop I or the spring may be formed by a slot in the end of the lid to receive a tongue or lip on the end of the spring, as shown in Fig. 4, the function of said stop being identical in either case.

The lip may be formed on the spring, as in Fig. 5, or on both the spring and the lid.

The lid is provided with aflange or inwardprojecting rib, i, at one edge to overlap the edge of the box or to fit into a rabbet or recess formed along the edge of the box, and thus form a stop to limit the closing movement of the lid and hold it in proper place when closed.

In opening the lid it is raised slightly at its free end against the pressure of the spring, and this pressure may be increased or diminished by screwing the bolt farther in or out of the box-offset, as may be found necessary, to give the desired pressure upon the lid to insure its proper seating and permit it to be quickly and easily opened and closed.

I prefer to make the lid of a simple fiat plate stamped into proper form.

I claim as my improvement 1. The combination, with an axle-box, of a lid pivoted thereto, and a plate-spring secured by said pivot, arched or bowed at its pivot connection, and having a bearing upon or near the middle of the lid and upon its pivoted end, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. A car-aXle-box lid having a pivot-attaching bolt, and a bowed or arched spring secured by said pivot-bolt and bearing at its ends upon the end and middle only of said lid on opposite sides of said bolt, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, with an axle-box,- of a lid pivoted thereto, and a plate-spring secured by said pivot, arched or bowed at its pivotconnection, and having a bearing at one end upon or near the middle of the lid and an abutting or fixed connection therewith at its other end, substantially as herein set forth.

4:. The combination, with an axle-box, of a lid pivoted thereto, having an outward-projecting lip or flange at its pivoted end, and a plate-spring secured by said pivot, bowed or arched at its pivot-cdnnection, abutting at its outer end against said lid-lip, and bearing at its other end and upon the middle of said lid, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. LAWRENCE.

WVitnesses:

V. A. SCHMIDT, GEO. W. MORRIS. 

